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Topic: Cranking on an extractor (Read 1698 times)

I know that this question is gonna sound really stupid...But first some background....

Many years ago, I found a single frame extractor at an action and placed a bid on it, and got it...Today, I used it for the first time, after cleaning the dust and cobwebs out. I harvested 3 frames of honey and cut the cappings off both sides. I placed the plastic frame in the basket and I cranked on the first frame and honey barely came out....I broke a lot of the wax before the honey came out. And yes, the room was a nice 72 degrees. I have heated the laundry room to 85 degrees and had better success with the subsequent frames....But

How long do you crank on that thing before the honey is respectably out of the cells?

I have a simple 2-frame extractor with crank. I think the two frame can be balanced better. I scratch my cappings and like to extract on my back deck - it has an aluminum awning. The temperature outside is 100F plus and this seems to inhibit the bees from robbing while I work and at the same time helps the honey slide out more easily and quickly. I start cranking slowly and gradually speed it up until it is going as fast as I can get it, by then it is usually nearly complete on that side. I give it another minute and then switch sides. Sometimes I will switch sides again to get a second spin on a side that looks like more can be extracted.

Since the weather is hot I assume the honey isn't cold? The room doesn't matter as much as the temperature of the honey.

Is the honey crystalized? Some honey crystalizes quickly.

You always have to start slow and work up. If you spin fast enough to get all the honey out quickly the weight of the honey on the other side will break the comb (this is in a tangetal). You have to get half the honey out, flip it, get most of the honey out of the other side, flip it and finish the first side, and maybe even flip it back over to finish off the second side.

Well, I got 2 quarts and 2 pints of honey out of 3 supers..as I drained my little single frame extractor, I put one of my wifes nylon stocking over the gate valve and all the big pieces of wax went into that. and there is wax to beat the band...no bee parts, just wax.. I hung the stocking up over a drip pan in the car....and the sun did the rest. I found out that you don't squeeze the stocking full of warm wax and honey....the wax tends to leak thru I think . anyway, from the cappings alone, I am getting nearly one of those pints that I mentioned.

I think I am gonna have a new tagline....

Nothing is as sweet as your own honey!

And guys, you can take that aNy Way you want! :D And thanks guys....for all the advice...I really needed it.

Lessons that I have learned-1] the frames need to be warmed- honey flows easier and more quickly and there is less wax from ruptured cells that are not expelling honey. 2] extracting is a mess for the house. Clean up asap or let the bees do it if possible. 3] There is an extreme small amount of honey in the bottom of the extractor...I have set that near one of the hives to let them clean it up...4] a solar extractor is a must for cappings...[I am thinking of making my own. I got the wood to house it. Just need some glass...

Any other lessons that need to be conveyed...let me know...I am ready to learn some more..

1. Place each frame against the wall of the basket, with each frame pointing in the same direction. The correct number of frames and positioning must be used to ensure that the extractor is balanced.

2. Remember that the cells are not formed perpendicular to the frame's foundation, but slightly slanted. Bees form the cells this way to counter the effects of gravity and minimize the amount of nectar that escapes the cells as the bees place it in them. Therefore, you must spin the extractor in the right direction to take advantage of this fact. If you spin in the wrong direction, some of the honey will remain in the cells, and some cell damage would occur.

3. The first spin should remove approximately half of the honey from one side of the frame. If you spin to remove all the honey from one side of the frame, and if you spin too rapidly, you could damage the comb by excessive pressure applied to the emtpy side of the frame from the honey-filled other side of the frame. This is especially true with wireless comb, or with wired comb that is newly drawn and not yet hardened enough.

4. After a proper first spinning, flip the frames and do the second spin in reverse, but this time completely emptying the honey from that side of the frame.

5. Do a final flip and spin in the opposite direction of the second spin, to remove the remaing honey from the side of the frame that was partially extracted on the first spin.